Chapter 109: Do You Know Us?

Chapter 109: Do you know us?

Chen Jian could naturally guess where Zhou Qin came from, but he truly didn't understand why the other party would show up at such a moment.

What the hell, after being blown up by a shell, instead of hastily shrinking back, he came running over, pattering like a fool, saying, "I was the one spying on you just now"?

That completely runs counter to the logic of a voyeur's behavior.

However, Chen Jian didn't press further for the time being; he simply told Zhou Qin to keep his distance and follow behind the team, saving any talk for when they returned to Huangshi City.

Zhou Qin had no objection, so the small squad, after tidying up their equipment, swiftly returned to Huangshi City, once again bringing the victorious news to the eagerly awaiting residents there.

It was another unstoppable celebration; the people's gazes toward Chen Jian and his companions now carried an unmistakable sense of 'reverence'.

Chen Jian did not wish this reverence to grow excessive, so he merely notified the Huangyu Organization to prepare defenses, coaxed the excited crowd back to sleep, and then led the main combatants toward the room where the Round-Hall merchants awaited.

Chen Jian said nothing, and Zhou Qin simply followed behind the squad.

Yet when he entered the room and saw the Round-Hall merchant rise from his chair, he suddenly froze.

"Mr. Wang?"

"Do you know each other?"

Chen Jian, slightly surprised, turned his gaze to Zhou Qin, who did not hide anything and instead nodded:

"This is Mr. Wang Lizi of the Round-Hall Merchant Guild; sorry, I'm still not used to this title, or perhaps 'Your Excellency' would roll off the tongue more easily."

Having spoken, the man opposite gave a slight nod:

"Then we can skip the self‑introduction—though let's still call you Mister, that's our tradition."

"Of course, of course."

Zhou Qin retreated to the corner and said no more.

A thought flashed through his mind:

"Could it be that the intervention of the Round-Hall Merchant Guild is what made these 'Huaxia Army' so strong?"

"No, the order is reversed."

"It should be that the Round-Hall Merchant Guild realized these Huaxia troops were strong enough, and therefore took the initiative to contact them."

"This can be seen from what Mr. Wang Lizi said: 'No need for self‑introduction.'"

"But if that's truly the case, then the future of the Huangshi City Huaxia Army is truly immeasurable."

"After all, in my memory, the powers that the Round-Hall Merchant Guild actively reaches out to are only a handful, countable on one's fingers."

"If the Huaxia Army ultimately cooperates with the Round-Hall Merchant Guild, how far could they go?"

Zhou Qin suddenly felt grateful he had come.

"If, like the overseers, he retreated out of 'fear,' the Holy Blood Hall would not only be snatched first by the Mechanical God Sect, but also by the Round-Hall Merchant Guild."

"By then, the situation would be quite passive."

Zhou Qin quietly let out a breath, already scheming how to turn the tide and regain the top‑priority partnership, while at that moment, Mr. Wang Lizi, standing opposite Chen Jian, spoke again.

"Mr. Chen, are the weapons we provided useful?"

His tone carried a lofty pride, but Chen Jian didn't dwell on it, merely nodding and replying:

"Not bad; at least it helped us smoothly take down that monster."

"By reason and sentiment, we owe you a favor."

"You are a most reasonable and understanding partner."

Mr. Wang Lizi smiled and nodded, then said:

"No matter how good the weapon, how much effect it can have still depends on the person wielding it."

"The batch of rockets we sent have always been regarded by the Mechanical God Sect as one of the most useless weapons."

"Their range is too short, their power too small, their accuracy too poor—perhaps in their eyes, a dozen rockets are not as useful as a smoothbore cannon."

"They probably never imagined that someone could use a weapon they look down on and, within just a few minutes, slay a monster nearing Level Two standards."

"Level Two?"

Chen Jian couldn't help but feel surprised.

"No wonder this thing is so tough to handle—it's already approaching Level Two!"

"In this world, the upper limit of monsters humans can handle is Level Two."

"Good grief, they've already amped up the intensity, and I'm still lagging behind, realizing it only now."

Chen Jian felt it in his heart, but his face remained impassive.

He simply nodded and gave a brief reply:

"The trick is simple: the closer you get, the more accurate you shoot."

"Exactly!"

Mr. Wang Lizi clapped his hands, smiling, and glanced—intentionally or not—at Zhou Qin beside him, saying:

"It's a pity that some who ought to have approached the monster lacked the courage to do so."

"That, then, truly proves your strength."

"Although you number only a few hundred, you exert a combat power surpassing that of thousands."

"What is most admirable is that this combat power does not rely on equipment, nor on any irreplaceable blood, to be achieved."

"You rely on wisdom." "This aligns perfectly with our philosophy; even our leader has expressed his admiration."

"Nothing extraordinary."

Chen Jian's attitude remained modest and unassuming; Mr. Wang Lizi, feeling that praise had gone far enough, coughed and said:

"You don't seem keen on such flattery—respect to your humility."

"But this topic has indeed been discussed enough."

"I think we should get down to business now."

Mr. Wang Lizi's eyes held a hint of expectation; he had assumed Chen Jian would readily nod and then shoo the bothersome Zhou Qin out of the way.

In reality, he had guessed only half correctly.

Chen Jian did indeed have someone escort Zhou Qin away.

But he had no intention of jumping straight into negotiations.

"State your identity."

Chen Jian stared at Mr. Wang Lizi opposite him, his expression stern, and said:

"Me?"

Mr. Wang Lizi startled.

"I never expected Chen Jian's attitude to be so cold."

"But he has a mission, so he merely furrowed his brows slightly and then replied:"

“As that Sanctified Blood said, I am a merchant of the Ring Guild.”

“I come here representing the Ring Guild and its leader, with the aim of establishing a close cooperative relationship with Yellowstone City.”

“Of course, also to advance our transaction.”

“You are an honorable and trustworthy person, I heard from Qinyuan that you have already agreed to our deal with us, I suppose you wouldn’t go back on your word now, would you?”

“No.”

Chen Jian shook his head, then spoke slowly, word by word:

“But I also have my principles.”

“And my principle is that I must know who I am dealing with.”

“I need to know who you are, to fully understand your organization’s background, and to confirm whether you pose a threat to me.”

“Only when these questions are answered one by one can our transaction continue to move forward.”

His words fell, and Wang Lizi opposite fell silent.

He stared into Chen Jian’s eyes, seemingly trying to gauge how firm the other’s resolve was.

Chen Jian returned the gaze without flinching, and the two locked eyes, neither willing to back down.

The atmosphere grew tense, like swords drawn and bows bent, and just then, Shen Yue behind Chen Jian made an ill‑timed move.

He pulled back the bolt of the 201‑class rifle.

The crisp sound echoed in the room; Wang Lizi’s eyes blinked once, and then he finally looked away.

“.”

Wang Lizi spread his hands and said:

“This is not an excessive demand; in fact, it is well within my authority.”

“But I must tell you that I will not answer any questions concerning the security of the Guild.”

“For example, where exactly is our headquarters, where do our resources come from, and what is our organizational structure?”

“Although I know you have obtained some information from interrogating Qinyuan, that is the limit.”

“A harmless frankness will not harm our deal, but anything beyond that is another matter.”

“So, Mr. Chen, what would you like to know?”

Chen Jian let out a soft breath, not speaking right away.

He knew that the thing he wanted to confirm did not actually require a complicated question.

On the contrary, all it took was an extremely simple question, and he would get the answer he wanted.

And that question is.

“If the flag of the Huaxia Army consists of red and yellow, then may I ask, who are we?”

(End of chapter)